Microsoft reveals Windows Phone 7 sales figures

Microsoft is out with its first official sales number for the new Windows Phone 7 smartphones: 1.5 million in six weeks.

The number was revealed by Achim Berg, vice president of business and marketing for Windows Phones, in a Q&A posted to Microsoft's website. Berg says the number is, "in line with our expectations – especially when compared to other new platform introductions."

While that's a fraction of the sales being reported by Google and Apple (there are currently around 300,000 Android devices being activated daily and 3 million iPhone's were sold in the device's first three weeks on the market), it is perhaps better than some were projecting given Microsoft's unwillingness to talk numbers in recent public appearances by executives.

Earlier this month at All Things Digital's D: Dive Into Mobile conference, Microsoft Corporate VP for Windows Phone Joe Belfiore acknowledged it would likely be years before Windows Phone 7 comes close to rivaling the market share of its competitors. At least we now have a starting point by which to draw comparisons.

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